News 13:00

BULLETIN 17 August 1 pm

Good afternoon. I am……..

In this bulletin:

# The Madlanga commission’s fire alarm is under investigation
# Cape Town’s water warning raises fresh Day Zero concerns
# And rugby: Rassie will keep the All Blacks guessing until Thursday

# The Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria, where the Madlanga commission is situated, has been cleared for safe occupation after a fire alarm triggered a precautionary evacuation this morning. Tshwane Emergency Services assessed the building, with no injuries or actual fire reported. The commission has since resumed proceedings, with businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala testifying. The commission’s spokesperson, Jeremy Michaels, confirmed security has been beefed up:

# The DA has reiterated its call for regular, credible and comprehensive lifestyle audits across the Police Service. During the previous financial year, 72 cases were referred for lifestyle investigations. Six were referred for further investigation, while 30 are still in progress. Spokesperson Lisa Schickerling says despite these red flags, not a single member was subjected to disciplinary action and not a single case referred to another law-enforcement or oversight body:

# Cape Town is facing renewed concerns over its water supply, bringing back memories of the 2018 Day Zero crisis. The City of Cape Town says in its latest Water Outlook Report the warning is an early call for residents to use water responsibly, as it monitors declining rainfall, dam levels, and water demand. Officials stress the city is not currently in a drought, but are urging residents to conserve water and act early to prevent pressure on supplies, as climate uncertainty remained a signficant risk to water security.

Moving abroad:

# US envoy and president Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is set to meet Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu today. It comes after he held rare talks with Hamas leaders on the implementation of the 15-point US-backed Gaza peace plan. The plan, which Netanyahu has rejected, calls for a series of sequenced steps, including Hamas’ disarmament and the withdrawal of the Israeli military. Hamas has agreed to a disarmament plan, but warned it could only happen if Israel upheld its obligations under the previous ceasefire agreement.

# Rugby: Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has decided to keep the All Blacks guessing for as long as possible by only naming his squad for Saturday’s first Test on Thursday afternoon. He normally announces the team much earlier, but has done this for a clash against New Zealand in the past. Erasmus is reportedly still waiting on news of the fitness of players such as captain Siya Kolisi and loosehead prop Ox Nché. Experts predict he will choose his most experienced team for Ellis Park.

# And the financial indicators: The dollar trades at 16-rand-15-cents and the euro at 18-rand-74-cents. One British pound costs 21-rand-90-cents and Bitcoin trades at 63-thousand-311-dollars. Gold sells at four-thousand-398-dollars-52-cents a fine ounce and Brent crude oil is quoted at 91-dollars-2-cents a barrel.

Stay tuned for more news………….